More Photographic Practices

This is the last public holiday for the next 2 months. June and July will be dreary long months with the next public holiday far from sight! Coupled with the hot and humid weather typical of the summer months, the next 2 months will be a test of endurance. Enough of all the complains! We should not let this day go to waste, right? What better ways to spend this day than to engage in activities that will cheer one up? *Grin*

Today has the perfect weather for some outdoor shoots. It is time I try to hone my rather amateurish photographic skills. Recently, I have come across some rather interesting articles on basic tips for taking photos. Heh heh, it's time to put those theories to test. Armed with my digital camera, I trudged down to my neighbourhood for some interesting shots.

Rule 1: Do not dispose any shots until you view them on your PC.

I could not try truly appreciate the value of this rule until today. A moth has unexpectedly flew into my house. This unwelcome visitor has become a convenient target for me to practise macro shots.

(In case you are also an amateur like me, let us learn and share photographic tips together. Photography 101: Macro shot is one that is typically employed for close-up shots with great clarity. Most digital camera will come with a 'flower' button to allow taking up to as close as 3 to 5 cm of the object.)

Anyway, I took a couple of close-up shots and failed, until the last 2 before it flew away. As I was looking at the photos from the small screen of the camera, I have felt that the first shot was too exposed. Fortunately, I have not done a hosuekeeping on the spot because when I projected the photos on the PC screen, I felt that first shot was clearer than the second.

What do you think? Which do you prefer?

Rule 2: Practice, practice and more practices

I have read alot about the importance of light sensitives and exposure. Before this, I have never think much about exposure of photos. However, the theories are dry and jsut confused me further. I have managed to gain some enlightenment today as I tried to play around with the shutter speed and aperture value for the light exposure.

Below is a shot which I have attempted to take with a higher shutter speed to bring out the blue in the skies. When a lower shutter speed is used, the skies turned out to be white.

If time permits, I must really experiment and practise more with my camera by venturing to take other objects. Meanwhile, I will also continue to read and understand more about photography. Good luck to me and thank you for sharing with me my practice shots. Feel free to give your comments. :-)

Assurances are a Good Form of Support

Have you ever felt revived from an extremely tough day after receiving some support that what you have done was correct? Have you ever felt consoled when someone stood on the same side of you after subjecting yourself to a series of scolding?

If yes, give me a high-five!!!

We need assurances to keep us going through the worst of times. Nah, the story is not about me, but it was about a colleague.

One of my line managers called me late in the evening to complain about his quarrel with another colleague. This line manager has worked quite closely with me. We often address each other as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.

My mobile rang.

Brother: Harlow, Sister.
Me: Brother, so free today to call me ah?
Brother: Today very jialat. Last night, worse. I had a huge row with another team.

My interest was piqued instantly because he used to be quite good-natured.

Me: What happened?
Brother: I don’t know if I am stupid or what. When I went in to the meeting to discuss the case, the speaker launched into this concept which I did not understand. The whole room understood, except me. My maths cannot be that bad, right?
Me: Then you never ask another attendee who understand to explain in their words? Perhaps paraphrasing helps?
Brother: I did. Then 2 people helped to explain again but I still don’t understand. Tell me, if I want to go from a NPV of -$2M to -$1M, I must increase the revenue, right?
Me: Yup.
Brother: The rest kept insisting we can drop the revenue.
Me: Of course not. Unless they are talking about NPV of $2M to $1M, without the negative sign, then yes.
Brother: No. They were definitely talking about NPV of -$2M to -$1M. Anyway, the boss then came in and agreed with what I have explained, ie for the NPV to go from -$2M to -$1M, the revenue must be increased. So I told the speaker ‘See. This is what I have told you.’ The speaker got upset and then apologized very insincerely, like ‘Ok! I, apologized, ok?!’
Me: Then?
Brother: I got angry and the scolded him ‘Useless!’

At this stage, I could not contain myself anymore and burst into laughter. Hearing my laughter, he laughed along with me.

Brother: Anyway, when we got out of the meeting. One of my colleagues pulled me aside and told me that regardless of how genuinely stupid the speaker was, I should not be scolding him useless.
Me: Yup, we should not do personal attack.
Brother: So after I cooled down, I called the speaker to apologise for my harsh words and jio him for coffee.
Me: Wow.
Brother: Hey, your brother is steady one, ok?
Me: Yup, having the courage to apologise when you know you are in the wrong is good. Good for you.
Brother: Yup, thanks for supporting me. Must now get back to work.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. So if someone calls you and complains a lousy day in future, do not be stingy with your assurances. Assuring the complainer that he or she has done absolutely right helps give them hope to trudge on. Of course, if you can throw in some encouragement, I am sure it will definitely provide greater motivation.

Mars Vs Venus

I have caught the show on and off. On the few occasions that I watched the serial, I was greatly entertained and ‘englightened’ by the profound quotes on marriage and friendship. The bickering between Stephen and Wenjing; the shyness of Yulian and Ah Wu and the naiveté of Zhiling were hilarious. Apparently, this show has also become rather popular among many friends. Among them are Ah Peng and Ms Chan. The show ended its run last night.

Those who have been in a relationship or are in a relationship can probably relate to some of the all-too-familiar scenarios. For those who intend to go into a relationship, the show will serve as a reminder of the differences in man and woman and the fragile balance in a relationship. For those who have no intention or have never been in a relationship, the scenes are probably snapshots of the interactions of couples around you.

Of course, drama being drama, the behaviours of the personas could somehow been exaggerated. Yet, the reality remains. Sometimes, we can take a friend, boyfriend / girlfriend, husband / wife or daughter-in-law/son-in-law for granted. We often fall into the debacle of cherishing something when it has slipped out of our hand. Sometimes, we do not have a second chance to make amends. Fortunately, for all of the characters within the show, they have managed to reconcile with their loved ones.

It is easy to go into a new relationship – be it BGR or friendship. The challenge lies in the sustenance. Sustenance is not restricted to keeping the cordial interaction of the parties, but also the continual development of the relationship. Development of a relationship often entails more efforts to keeping the excitement, the communication, the strengthening and the understanding among the parties. At the same time, respect, compromise and sincerity must be maintained. It sounds like a daunting task. Indeed, when we become bogged down by the trivialities of daily lives and the stress of work, relationships often take a back-seat. Once neglected, a relationship will start to stagnate and even die off.

If you start to get cold feet by now about any form of relationship, you are not alone. Before plunging into any relationship, we should be aware of the accompanying responsibilities. However, relationships are not all chores and no fun. No man can live alone. It is often the relationships we are in that help us blossom. A good relationship will enhance our self-esteem, result in collective happiness and a more wonderful place to live in.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Swensen’s has just introduced new meal sets under the theme of Pirates of Caribbean, probably as promotion for the upcoming movie. They looked enticing, so we have decided to try them out.

Pirate = sea; Caribbean = tropical?

The sets are seafood related with the use of colourful fruits. Each set comes with a cream seafood soup, main course and a mocktail. There are four selections for the main course - grilled chicken, fish fillet, grilled prawns and steak. The mocktails have a pineapple base and a mix of other fruits, such as strawberry, passionfruit and mango.

Three of us have decided to share 2 sets to avoid eating too much for the dinner. We have chosen the fish and the prawns. The fish was tender and spicy. The prawns were delicious. The drinks were slightly sour, perhaps due to the pineapple juice. We have ordered another side dish – calamari to ‘supplement’ our meal. We loved the calamari as well because the squid was soft and not the least rubbery while the crust was crispy.

It was definitely a satisfying meal. Even my mum who normally dislikes western food was giving thumbs up for the meal.

Praying for More Weekends

Do you have the same problem?

Weekends seem to fly past. There is so much to do and accomplish over the weekends that sometimes we do not know where to start. There are some things that we always plan to do during the weekends but they are always pushed to the next and the next and the next. Despite us getting a weekend after every 5 working days, we still constantly face a weekend ‘drought’.

Some of the activities that are regulars on my weekend timetable
- Replenishing our groceries
- Paying our bills
- Catching up on our sleep
- Catching up with friends
- Updating my blog

Some of the planned activities that I have always wanted to embark on and for some mysterious reasons they have been postponed since I cannot even remember when.
- Visiting different museums in Singapore
- Touring some of the places of attraction in Singapore, eg the zoo.
- Taking up photography
- Going to the library
- Trying out yoga
- Exercising regularly
- Going shopping
… … …
… …
…
The list goes on and on.

Since I have so many plans that have shelved, you must imagine that I must have had many fulfilling and meaningful weekends. Well, you cannot be more wrong. What is more perplexing is I cannot comprehend where have all my weekend time gone to. Sometimes, I do not even accomplish my ‘regular’ list, much less my ‘wish’ list.

Is this another enigma of a working adult?

Developing Digital Photos

The technology of photos has developed so rapidly that it has never ceased to amaze me. Some of the photos may look clear and sharp in the small screen of the camera but when enlarged, the low resolution will cause the photos to be blurred.

Development of photos is automated and self-serviced. On the spot, one can immediately know whether the photos will turn up ok in the different sizes of 3R to 8R. Lower resolution photos will look fine in the smaller size frame but the quality will deteriorate with larger frames. For those photos which will not turn up well, we can then choose not to develop. It is indeed a form of savings for us.

We can also determine how many copies of each shot we like to develop. In the past, prior to the digital era, to develop several copies of our favourite shots, we will need to develop the entire roll of film first. Only then can we know the ‘photo number’ in the negative for subsequent developing.

All my China photos are developed. It is about 150 shots in all. The next issue is where to keep them. I bought a new album with 300 pockets to keep the photos that I have recently developed. It then took me another 2 nights to finish re-arranging the photos and slotting them into the new album.

Now, I can take out the photos and relook at them as and when I like it. :-)

Sinful Feast

Life is great!

Sounds vaguely familiar to the tagline of a financial institution? Life is great with comfort food.

Comfort food is often what we term food that helps lift our spirits on a demoralized day. Not that I undergoing emotional doldrums. It is more of a desire to pamper myself after a pretty hectic week at work. Hence, I threw all inhibitions to air and sank into full indulgences of sinful food – food I normally minimize intake of; food which I know will cause my cholesterol level to deteroriate; food will pile on heaps of fat on my increasing weight.

Laksa, Mee Reebus and Nasi Lemak. These food will likely to top the chart of trans fat, cholesterol, heatiness and calories. Although I felt guilty over this sinful feast, the meal has also resulted in a fulfilling satisfaction, not only to my stomach but to my day as well.

My mum has discovered this little eatery which apparently filled with the office crowds on a typical working day. The patrons must be attracted by the good food. While we were in Bugis shopping today, we had decided to pop in for a trial. Duh-duh! Drum rolls please. The eatery was Qi Ji at Bugis Village.

I used to place the Mee Reebus at HDB Hub at the topmost position. However, its ‘standard’ has dropped drastically. I finally found a replacement for my favourite Mee Reebus. It has the perfect serving of Mee Reebus with gravy which is not too starchy or watery to dress the springy noodles. The ingredients used are simple with maybe just Tau Pok or Tofu with an egg. Yet, the aroma of the gravy will whet your appetite as you eat more and more mouthfuls. The adding of small dried shrimps (hei bee) enhances the sweetness of the gravy.

Nasi Lemak is offered in different sets. However, the crew will allow you to replace one or two item in the set with your own preference in another set, as long as the items of exchange have similar pricings. The chicken wings are golden brown. The ikan bilis peanut are crispy but not too hard. There is scrambled egg or omelet to choose from.

The Laksa are served with cockles, tau pok and fish cakes. The gravy has a good mix of spiciness and coconut fragrance, but without being overwhelmingly thick.

Looking around us, satisfaction was apparent on the faces of other patrons. Moreover, the empty bowls, ‘cleaned’ of even the gravy, spoke for themselves.

Yum yum! I will definitely come back in the future and to try on other delicacies as well, such as the Poh Piah (spring roll), the Mee Siam and the different sets of Nasi Lemaks.

Start of GSS 2007

The yearly Great Singapore Sale has commenced again. When I went home shortly after 6 pm, a rush of people were walking in the opposite direction of me. The train was freakingly empty.

Everyone has flocked to town to grab the best bargains at the earliest possible time. Some departmental stores have started their mid-year sales even about a week before GSS in an attempt to attract more shopping dollars.

Get ready your wallet for more action in the next 2 months as the sales in all boutiques and stores gained strength.

Happy Shopping!

Work-Life Balance

I have first heard her story from my boss, with bare minimal details. It was a pity of her to pass away at such a tender age.

Today, a colleague has forwarded me a report featuring her story. After reading that article, I felt sympathy, sadness and some form of relation to her story. Some of the comments in her blog struck a chord in me. Her body of 29 years abandoned her after prolonged working.

The corporate culture today seemed to equate 12 or more hours of working as normal working hours. The weekend never arrives. Many weekends are utilized on catching up backlogs which seem impossible to complete. People who only chip in their 9-to-5 share are immediately labeled as cruisers or even slackers. Many are so knackered from their demanding jobs that on the occasions where they have a workless weekend, they devote the entire weekend to ‘recuperating’.

Are the workers getting less efficient such that increasing hours are required to complete the tasks? Do our workers slack during the official working hours so that they have to put in extra hours after office hours to clear work?

Given the recent study which shows that Singaporeans’ walking pace has increased tremendously and even surpassed many countries, it seems unlikely that our productivity has declined. Many likened the fast pace to the increasing stress of Singaporeans though.

Most people will prefer to have dinner at dinner time, rather than supper time. Most people will prefer to go home for a home-cooked meal and slouch on their sofa for their favourite 9 o’clock drama than be stuck in the cold office. Thus, I believe if one knows that they will need more time to complete the task, they will pull themselves from the afternoon tea cum gossip break.

Perhaps some organizations in their quest for continual excellence and lean methodology have taken cost cutting, particularly manpower cost cutting, a tad too far. When employees are overstretched, especially for prolonged period of time, it is both detrimental to the employees and the organization. In the short term, employees who overworked and overstressed are less healthy. There will be increasing medical reimbursements. Absences of the employees will also cause more disruptions. In the long term, employees become demoralized and leave the company. This causes greater disruptions and even brain drain. It is also more costly to recruit and retrain the replacement. Short terms gains can sometimes result in higher costs in the long term.

We should give our best in work. Yet, we must also strive for a work-life balance, for instance, by taking short breaks now and then to give our body time to recharge. When things seem to get out of hand, we should talk to our peers or our supervisors to work out a win-win solution. If all things fail, perhaps it can mean a mismatch of personal and corporate goals. It is timely then to part ways for the good of both the individual and the company.

Perhaps I am oversimplifying things. Afterall, it is difficult to say no, especially to your boss. With growing competition, to have a healthy bottom line, cost cutting becomes a constant battle for any organization. The balance between a healthy pay-check against our healthy and the balance between the employee welfare and shareholder value will constantly be on our and the managers’ minds. These balances have become harder and harder to juggle with an increasingly competitive world.

Second Lunch Gathering for the ASF Committee

Since the fun we had in our last gathering, we have decided to meet for lunch monthly.

1) To catch up on each other’s lives.

Although Annual Staff Function (ASF) 2007 has officially ended, our friendship continues. One of our hidden agenda was perhaps to catch up on some of the latest gossips.

2) To celebrate birthdays

The birthday boy or girl for the month will get a free treat from the rest.

3) To accompany one of our colleagues for lunch

Jess, a doting father from Philippines, has often taken unhealthy food as no one watches over him despite high blood sugar problem.

This month, we had our lunch at Pastamania. We met for 2 celebratory occasions in May – to celebrate the birth of our chairman’s son and my very belated birthday.

The rain did not dampen our excitement at seeing each other. Karen, one of the committee members who had since left the company, even came down to join us in this monthly celebrations.

Our QC leader - Yen, and our chairman shared their many stories. We chatted from baby bonus, to work and finally to the organization of the next year’s ASF. Our chairman threatened that if he were to be nominated again, he would propose that the existing committee be involved.

Next month, we would be going for dinner instead. ;-p

Food Trail

It has been ages since we have ventured to the more out-of-the-way places for meals. Breakfast was roti prata at Jalan Kayu. Lunch was wanton noodle at Tembeling Road. Dinner was Zi Char at Changi Village.

I am not exactly someone who will travel far for food, especially when there are always so many things that need to be done over the weekend. A food trail occasionally is enjoyable but it may mean compromising on other tasks to be accomplished over the precious weekend. =p

Living Under the Crescent Moon

This week is the International Museum Day Week. Free guided tours and themed exhibitions are held at the various museums of Singapore over this weekend.

I have wanted to visit the newly renovated National Museum of Singapore as its unique colonial architecture has frequently been featured. Moreover, as a Singaporean, I was rather ashamed to admit that I have not been to our National Museum. It was timely to be more acquainted with Singapore.

Initially, the May07 gathering for the musketeers was meant to be only a lunch. We were glad we have managed to persuade Ms Chan to join Ah Peng and myself in my inaugural visit to the National Museum of Singapore. Ah Peng has been to the National Museum countless times. It used to be one of her favourite activities on Saturday afternoons. I must really learn from her and not allow myself to continue slacking. *Sheepish grin* Hence, the May07 gathering for the musketeers was our tour of the National Museum of Singapore.

The National Museum of Singapore is a short 10 minute walk from Plaza Singapura, just behind YMCA. The current featured exhibition was “Living Under the Crescent Moon” which is about the domestic lifestyles of the Arab Community. The exhibition was divided into 2 sections. The first was “Domestic Cultures in the Arab World” which displayed models of dwellings and artefacts of their daily lives, such as tools, utensils and art. The second was “Images from the Arab World” which featured the photos of the renowned contemporary Arabian photographers.

Domestic Cultures in the Arab World
The tribes featured in the exhibition are from Syria, Morocco and the Arabian Peninsula. A tribe which we have seen featured constantly is the Berbers.

One of the unique architecture of the Arabians is the use earth and clay in their homes which are believed to protect them from the heat. The material used for their utensils in the past is mainly brass and it has since evolved to the use of recycled car tyres. From pillow covers, to towels and carpets, embroideries and hand woven cloth are used. Such tapestries often involve the use of rich colours, such as maroon which seem to be reflective of their culture.

Images from the Arab World
The photos have made a stronger impression on the Arab culture on me. Some of the more interesting photos include handcolouring of black-and-white photos, images for pilgrimage at the Haj, Mecca by a Princess and glamourous portraits of ordinary citizens.

Each photographer has their unique style of capturing the sights. For instance, one photographer has used archaic pin-hole camera to capture natural sights which are believed to be never visible to the human eye. The images present a strong contrast beween the object and the light. Another photographer likes to highlight the focus in the midst of action, where the surroundings are blurry to emphasis the object.

My favourite among these photos was one by a contemporary female photographer on a series of wedding themed photos. She has vividly conveyed one of the greatest ironies of the culture: women are always expected to take a passive and obscure role, but during their wedding, they suddenly become the centre of attention.

There was a subsection – “Strange Games and Bridges” which presented the works of Jocelyne Saab who is a prominent documentary filmmaker and journalist. The works of “Strange Games and Bridges” drew inspiration from Beirut and journeyed a cycle of destruction and renewal.

To be candid, some of the images could be slightly disturbing and abstract. One video clip showed children playing a game of war with their use of planks as weapons for killing and torturing fellow playmates. Another clip showed a young girl opening a fridge full of guns. Pictures of separate body parts of a mannequin were placed at various corners. When Ms Chan attempted to start a discussion on the works, we were speechless as we could not truly comprehend the messages that were conveyed.

Architecture of National Museum of Singapore
Walking in the National Museum of Singapore was truly a luxury – with a harmonious marriage of modern and historic structures. For instance, the Gothic chandeliers adopted a bold bright red dressing. Instead of discreetly playing their roles of lighting, they became the highlights of the lobby with their pendulum swings. A bridge links the spacious podium to the historic wing. The podium is laid with granite flooring and connected by modern escalators and elevators. The historic wing has wooden window panels, engravings on the pillars reflective of Singapore’s colonial past and a tainted glass dome-like ceiling. Overhead the bridge, the red pendulum chandeliers swings on.

(The Colonial building which now forms the interior of the Museum.)

(The dome ceiling with tainted glass windows.)

Bored of a typical Saturday afternoon lingering along the shopping belt? Why not visit the National Museum of Singapore for a change?

Recruitment

One of the accountants in another unit has just resigned. Her boss was rather anxious to get her replacement soonest possible. Recently, she has identified a potential candidate but held back her recruitment decision for fear that this candidate would not be able to blend in to the culture.

It seems like to many bosses, recruitment is not about recruiting the best candidate in the market. Although the technical competence and attitude of a candidate are important, they are not the only considerations.

In an organization where teamwork and people relationship management are key success factors, increasing emphasis is given to whether a there is a match in culture between a particular employee and the others. Indeed. When there is a match, the employee will feel happy working in the organization. Similarly, the other team members will be happy working with the employee and greater team results can be produced.

On the other hand, where there is a mismatch. The good candidate will feel demoralized and this adversely affects performance. Regardless of the technical superiority of candidate, the candidate is not likely to show his best. At the same time, it may also affect the performance of other team members.

Hence, if you feel discouraged for not being recruited, fret not. It may not be due to your technical incompetence, but rather the corporate culture may not be suitable for you. Perhaps you would ask, does it mean that there will be groupthink in an organization or it may be impossible to get into certain organizations as culture does not change easily. The answer is maybe. Turnover has become a frequent sight in today's corporations. Whenever a new member joins the team, culture change is already slowly taking place because no 2 individuals are the same.

Loss of Photo Scare

We were admiring the photos that we have taken in Taiwan, Bangkok and China last night. Yes! Finally we have developed the photos, including Taiwan’s which were taken 2 years ago.

Shortly before we departed for China, my sister had attempted to copy the photos previously stored in her SD card to a CD, so as to ‘make space’ for new photos in China. For whatever reason, the CD became corrupted and all the photos were lost.

We were terribly upset, especially the loss of the Taiwan photos. It was such bad news to receive just on the eve of next trip. It has been a memorable trip in Taiwan. Even if we revisit Taiwan in future, the feelings, the sights and experiences will definitely be different. Hence, we will not be able to replicate the exact photos.

Fortunately, one of her friends had managed to salvage the SD card and retrieve the deleted photos. Alas, we could still have those memories. To prevent the recurrence of the above scare, we have decided to develop the photos soonest possible when we came back to Singapore.

Looking at those photos brought back nice memories of our previous trips. We were amazed then at the natural beauties, the varied culture and the rich history of these countries. We remained amazed now as we looked at the photos.

The best souvenirs from any vacation are still the memories and photos. :-)

Golden Pig Babies

I have heard 2 pieces of good news over the weekend. Both SMSes informed me that they were soon-to-be mothers - one from my excolleague and one from the uni girls. They are already the 3rd and 4th for the year. Hmm, looks like I will see many golden pig babies this year.

Congrats to Ann and Lis! :-)

The Heat is On

2007 is prophesized to be the hottest year even according to the climatologist. We have already seen that happening in Japan with an early sakura bloom. In Singapore, the temperature is climbing. A short 15 min walk will leave us in profuse sweat.

I have decided to go for a morning instead of an afternoon swim to ‘cool myself’ down. The pool was getting crowded as the sun rose. After the swim, I felt warmer than before I dipped into the pool. Hence, the entire purpose of the swim was defeated.

Nonetheless, it was still a refreshing change to go for a morning swim as I have not had morning exercise before breakfast for ages. The last I did that was probably about more than a year ago. Morning exercise before breakfast sort of perked me up for the entire day.

Visit by Ah Peng

Ah Peng visited me yesterday as she was keen to explore the ‘up-and-coming’ AMK Hub. We met for lunch at AMK Hub before going to my home.

Ah Peng was surprised at the hustling and bustling of AMK central, both the hub and the neighbourhood shops near the hub. Actually, I felt that Tampines is even more bustling, compared to AMK.

Well, my home is a pretty boring place. I do not have exciting board games. Nor do I subscribe to SCV. Unlike our previous visits to Ms Chan and Ah Peng’s homes where we could keep ourselves amused for hours just watching SCV. Hee hee.

Our entertainment for the afternoon was just looking at my photos (from Taiwan, Bangkok and China) as well as my graduation photos and photos taken with my excolleagues. Ah Peng was surprised at the number of photos I have taken with my excolleagues. Well, I could only say that we like to commemorate special occasions with photos, such as CNY and farewell parties for resignees and retirees. During this occasion, we may even come dressed in special colour scheme. *Grin*

I also made her join me in watching The Prince becomes Frog, one of my favourite show over the weekend. During the show, I was even adding my own comment about the next development. She was perplexed on why I still kept watching when I could predict what would happen next. In the end, her conclusion was that I was also a hopeless romantist. Ha ha.

Blur me again. I have wanted to pass her something I got for her from China but I had actually forgotten. Sigh!

Less Fire-fighting

The line / business people have gone to their Malacca trip.

It was a good break for all the support people. Less calls, less emails and even no business case that has to be evaluated in this interval of 3 days.

We have time to catch-up on all the important but non-urgent things which forever have to take a back-seat when we were fire-fighting.

What a fruitful 3-day…

Mother's Day Celebration in advance

We decided to have an early Mother’s Day celebration in order to avoid the crowd expected of next weekend.

We proposed to have a different cuisine this year after years of going to a Chinese restaurant. We brought our mum to the Waraku at Central for Kaminabe (Paper Steamboat) – one of Waraku’s signature dishes.

We were shown to the window seats where we had a paranomic view of Singapore River and the opposite Clark Quay. We ordered a Nihotate Kaminabe (Scallop Paper Steamboat), Okonomiyaki (Grilled Octopus Pancake), Udon and Grilled Chicken set.

It was a refreshing change for her. We certainly hope she had enjoyed herself.

(Lotus Root crackers. We were busy eating that we did not take photos for the rest. As usual, we only remembered after we finished eating.)

Summer Time - Playing with Camera

It is summer time, yet many local flowers are still in full bloom.

Perhaps I become more observant towards the flora and fauna after my China trip, so I began to notice some of the wild and planted flowers in my surroundings. Anyway, I wanted to hone my photographic skills so that I can take nicer photos when in future, ie less blurry pictures. Thus, I took my camera and tried to take close-up shoots of the flowers in my neighbourhood. I still refused to give up trying for the 'macro-view'. *Grin*

Well, the good news is I have finally succeeded!!! Here are some of the photos I have taken for sharing with you. Hopefully, your day will be brightened by these sweet flowers.

(The last photo is the one which I have successfully taken with the macro view and managed to show the contrast between the focal object and the background, ie clear object, blurred background)

Celebration of My Boss's Birthday

We had a mini surprise celebration of our boss’s birthday in office today.

One of my colleagues went to BreadTalk to get a chocolate cake. It was yummy with a rich chocolate taste.

We had wanted a surprise birthday for her and invited her to the meeting room for 'discussion'. However, she saw us taking out the cake and our cover was blown off. My other boss took out the coke which has ‘resided’ in his fridge for a few months (left over from one of late budget meetings when we ordered from Pizza Hut) and we cheered with coke instead of alcohol.

While we ate the cake and shared the ‘left-over’ coke, my boss appeared touched by our little gesture. Unfortunately, although it was her birthday, she still did not manage to knock off on time. :-(

China Trip – Thoughts

There has been a slight culture shock in the first few days I have been in China. The practices and the environment are vastly different.

First is the toilet. Although the maintenance of toilets has improved tremendously, the upgrade in the toilet facilities has not spread to some rural areas. Many toilets still are not equipped with toilet paper and the locks in the cubicles are not working. In the rural areas, there may still be toilets without proper cubicle or flushing facilities.

Second is the communal practice of some of the locals which may take some time to get used to, in terms of food and changing of clothes. During one of the breakfasts, we have seen some locals enjoying the food in common trays using their used cutlery. There is another instance where a local family squeezed with us for breakfast when it was a table for only four. There were four of ur and four of them. We were the first to be seated there. In the end, we had a rather uncomfortable and squeezy meal.

When I was trying a top in one fitting room, another girl has squeezed in and both of us shared the same tiny fitting room. I was not used to sharing a fitting room with another person. After I finished changing, I had just 'conveniently' pulled open the curtain to get out, totally forgetting that she had not finished changing. I had to immediately apologised but not before she threw me dagger stares and a look of wondering which planet I have come from.

For those who prefer smoke-free environment, it takes time to get used to cigarette smoke and smell in air-conditioned places, such as restaurants. Unlike Singapore, smoking in aircon environment is legal.

The locals value healthy lifestyles, especially the elders, who will wake up early and sleep early. They are also particular about food, as some food cannot be taken together, eg lettuce and tofu. Hence, hearing the local guides speak about how the locals manage to maintain good health was an enriching experience.

This is also the first time I have experienced such coldness where my teeth was chattering even though I was in sweaters. This is the first time I see mist coming out of my mouth when I talk and breathe hard. *Grin* This is already mid spring and summer is soon approaching. In climate terms, the worst cold has been over. Yet, we still felt frozen.

This is also the first time I have walked long distances in the rain without an umbrella. It was a good experience because we were never so liberated in Singapore. Every time we see a person without an umbrella in the rain, we will think the person in insane. Whereas in China, no one took a second look.

China is still very populous. Despite its vast lands, there are still many people in many places on weekdays. This helps us better appreciate the Chinese government’s one-child policy.

Chinese’ long history, being one of the oldest civilizations, is very apparent in the sites and attractions which we have visited. These ancient sites and structures amazed us with the strength and intelligence of the Chinese ancestors.

At the same time, there is massive development in many cities which again amazed us with the strength and determination of the current Chinese government. In the span of a few years, China is no longer what we used to hear and imagine.

Visiting a country is just a preview of the culture of the people. Nevertheless, it is indeed an eye-opener.

China Trip – Coming Back

After 9-day of feeling like Qian Long touring Jiangnan, but minus the luxury, it was time to come back to home. Although I was excited to be back in Singapore, I had started to miss the good weather and rich culture of China.

This trip was a good introduction to China and has enticed me to explore other parts of China. It also made me more aware of Chinese history, legends and literature where such learning was definitely more interactive and interesting than reading a history book.

On the flight back, I could see the stars very clearly as the plane was above the clouds. The stars were just next to us, outside the windows. Again, the most apparent star I have see was the orion. The rest are unrecognisable to me. *Grin*

China, I will certainly come back on another day. *Smile*

(Some of the souvenirs from China - Plums from Cai Zhi Zhai in Suzhou, Gui4 Hua1 and Sesame Cakes, Thousand-layer sesame and peanut sweets and sesame crackers from Cheng Huang Temple in Shanghai)